Coping advice: Get ready for winter

’Tis the season for drafty windows. And snowstorms. And mice looking for warm homes.

Adam Bowles

’Tis the season for drafty windows. And snowstorms. And mice looking for warm homes.

That may be a cup-half-empty perspective. But it’s not too early to think about emergency preparedness, money-saving ideas and energy efficiency.

Coping tips

- Anyone who is not on automatic home heating oil delivery should not allow oil tanks to drop below halfway, so homeowners don’t get stuck without heat during a storm, said Gene Arters, director of Norwich (Conn.) Emergency Management.

Arters fears residents who have electricity shut off or can’t pay for oil will use gas ovens, an illegal and dangerous move because of the carbon monoxide risk.

- Elderly residents should maintain a two-day supply of prescriptions.

- All residents should stockpile 72 hours of groceries and emergency supplies.

- People who must work during snowstorms should pick a route known to co-workers and family and stick to it so people know where to look if the vehicle becomes stuck.

- Residents should obey parking bans.

Mice invaders

Shane Schmid, manager at Browning and Lee Hardware store in Colchester, Conn., said he has seen more customers than usual this year asking for material to seal up their homes from mice. “Anything you can put a pinkie through, mice can fit,” he said.

Schmid recommends expansion foam and steel wool to plug the holes.

Schmid also recommends people insulate their water pipes, insulate their windows with thin, clear sheets of plastic, apply removable caulking where necessary and install door sweeps — among other energy-saving measures — to prevent heat loss.

“If you can slide a dollar under your door, you might as well, because that’s where your heat is escaping,” he said.

WINTER TIPS

Top five things to do to prepare for winter:

1. Update emergency contacts.

2. Put emergency kits at home and in the car.

3. Don’t put off home maintenance. Replace the furnace filter, clean out the fireplace and fill the propane tank.

Office: Extra set of clothes, toiletries and other conveniences may help if a storm blows in while you are working.

Let the sunshine in

Open drapes and let the sun heat your home for free. Close them again at sundown so they help insulate your place.

Rearrange your rooms

Move your furniture around so that you are sitting near interior walls — exterior walls and older windows are likely to be drafty. Don’t sit in the draft.

Keep it shut

Traditional fireplaces are energy losers. It is best not to use them because they pull heated air out of the house and up the chimney. When the fireplace is not in use, make absolutely sure the damper is closed. If you decide not to use a fireplace, block off the chimney with a piece of rigid insulation from the hardware store that fits snugly into the space (dampers don’t shut fully without some leaking).